Tuesday, June 23, 2009

One week left to a shutdown...do we have a plan B?

...Let's see - the only budget that the lege has even considered is their own draconian one, they've refused to send even that to the governor for her signature/veto, and the AZ Supreme Court has taken one look at the mess that the other two branches of state government have created and fled screaming into the deep desert, hoping to hide until the dust* storm passes.

*In this context, "dust" is a euphemism for "bovine-based solid biological waste matter," a phrase that is itself a euphemism. :)

So, in the event that the Republican caucus of the lege and their governor (their edict is that no Democrats are allowed to participate in this exercise) choose to keep their rectums firmly lodged in their rectums, what can we do to break the logjam down on west Washington?

Turns out there is an option available to us in the AZ Constitution and Arizona Revised Statutes.

Every public officer in the state of Arizona, holding an elective office, either by election or appointment, is subject to recall from such office by the qualified electors of the electoral district from which candidates are elected to such office. Such electoral district may include the whole state. Such number of said electors as shall equal twenty-five per centum of the number of votes cast at the last preceding general election for all of the candidates for the office held by such officer, may by petition, which shall be known as a recall petition, demand his recall.

Every recall petition must contain a general statement, in not more than two hundred words, of the grounds of such demand, and must be filed in the office in which petitions for nominations to the office held by the incumbent are required to be filed. The signatures to such recall petition need not all be on one sheet of paper, but each signer must add to his signature the date of his signing said petition, and his place of residence, giving his street and number, if any, should he reside in a town or city. One of the signers of each sheet of such petition, or the person circulating such sheet, must make and subscribe an oath on said sheet, that the signatures thereon are genuine.

A. If the officer against whom a petition is filed does not resign within five days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and other legal holidays, after the filing as determined pursuant to section 19-208.03, the order calling a special recall election shall be issued within fifteen days and shall be ordered to be held on the next following consolidated election date pursuant to section 16-204 that is ninety days or more after the order calling the election.B. A recall election shall be called:1. If for a state office, including a member of the legislature, by the governor.2. If for a county officer, or judge or other officer of the superior court in a county, by the board of supervisors of that county.3. If for a city or town officer, by the legislative body of the city or town.4. If for a member of a school district governing board, by the county school superintendent of the county in which the school district is located.C. If a recall petition is against an officer who is directed by this section to call the election it shall be called:1. If for a state office, by the secretary of state.2. If for a county office, by the clerk of the superior court.3. If for a city or town office, by the city or town clerk

.There are other relevant sections, especially in ARS Title 19, but you get the hint.

The bottom line is that these folks were elected to office to run the state, not to run it into the ground.

2 comments:

While I do realize that to some degree talk about recall process is an idea some people are thinking about these days, until an actual person pulls a form and submits it this is all speculation (not that there is anything wrong with that).

The only recall that has been taken out so far in the current election (and recall) cycle is for John McCain (scroll to end of page).

The recall states (and I quote):

"John McCain has stood by and provoked racial bigotry and hate along with another individual named Sarah Palin. He has also defacto approved "torture" by the United States of America. Finally, John McCain neglects his state of Arizona by not encouraging its fair share of public dollars and voting against the New GI Bill for soldiers. Please restore the U.S. Constitution to AZ. Recall John McCain."

About Me

My name is Craig. I have lived in AZ for 18 years or so.
Transplant from MA.
Waiting...hoping for more to move here so the Dems can retake the Lege.
Currently reading Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty..
Got news tips or leads? Email them to cpmaz@yahoo.com.
Note: Spam comments will be deleted.